Ducey Vows to Keep Grand Canyon Open Despite Possible Shutdown

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey vows to keep Grand Canyon National Park open in the event of a federal government shutdown. KNAU's Justin Regan reports.

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The state would use its own funds from the Departments of Parks and Tourism to keep the national park open and fully operational. Patrick Ptak is a spokesperson for Governor Ducey. He says the canyon is critical to both the regional and state economies.

"We want people to keep their travel plans if they’re coming to visit it. Because we’re going to do everything we can to make sure that it’s open and accessible to the public," he says.

During the last federal shutdown in 2013, Arizona and several other states paid to keep open certain national parks including the Grand Canyon. Ptak says it costs about $100,000 a week to keep Grand Canyon open. While there are other national parks and monuments in Arizona, the focus of the state funds will be on the Grand Canyon.